The present invention relates to a method of forming a reserve winding on a rotating empty tube, to which a thread drawn off at a constant speed from a work station is passed in order to form parallel windings in the longitudinal end region of the empty tube before passing it to a cross-winding device to form a cross-winding pattern of the thread on the empty tube. The tube is driven at a constant peripheral speed by a winding cylinder. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
In a known method for forming the reserve winding, the empty tube is driven at the normal winding speed (EP-OS 69 205). This gives rise to a thread excess, which leads to disturbances during the winding-up process and is, therefore, particularly in the case of larger reserve windings, compensated for by temporary storage.
It is further known to hold an empty tube, during the formation of parallel reserve windings, between three roller pairs, of which one pair is driven in a defined, fixed speed ratio relative to the winding cylinder (DE 30 39 857 A1). In this manner, it is possible during the formation of the parallel reserve windings to maintain a wind-on tension which corresponds to the wind-on tension during production. With this apparatus it is, however, impossible to avoid changes in tension when, after the parallel reserve windings have been formed, the thread is fed to the cross-winding thread guide.